Disposable safety razor



Oct. 18, 1955 S. W. DUNCAN DISPOSABLE .SAFETY RAZOR Filed March 1, 1950 I N V EN TOR. ddrrJ/ara/ jarred.

United States Patent DISPOSABLE SAFETY RAZOR sandfordwyDuncan, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 1, .1950, Serial No. 147,031

'5 Claims. (Cl.'30-47) This invention relates to a safety razor of the disposable type designed for, although not limited to, a

single or limited use particularly in the .case of emergency where the shavers regular shaving equipment is 'not available.

be grasped by the shaver in manipulating the razor.

Another object of the'invention is the provision :of a disposable safety razor in accordance with the preceding object in which the component parts may be readily assembled and disassembled -so that the razor may be marketed as a smallpackageinknocked downform suitable for vending'machines as well as over the counter sales.

Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled'in the art from the specification and appended drawing illustrating certain :preferred embodiments in 'which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the safety razor according to the presentinvention in assembled form.

Figure 2 is'a sectional viewon the line II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an explodedperspective'view of the razor. Figure 4 is a-perspectiveview'of amodified form of blade retaining head.

Figure 5 is an elevational "View of another modified form of blade retaining-head.

Figure 6 is'a sectional view on the line VIVI of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view onthe line VII-VII of Figure 5.

The safety razor according to the present invention, as shown in Figures '1, '2 and '3, comprises a standard single edge razor blade lhaving a standard reinforced top edge 2 opposite its cutting edge. The blade 1 is to be mounted in a retaining head 3. This head may be formed of any desired material of the necessary rigidity, but in the form of Figures 1 through 3 is preferably of a thermoplastic material such as a cellulose acetate soft enough to permit the cutting edge of the blade to be pressed thereinto. The head 3 comprises an upper fiat portion 4 and a lower inclined portion 5 which is spaced from the blade 1 and terminates in a skin engaging edge 6. In the inclined portion 5 above the edge 6 are waste disposal openings 7. At the opposite edges of the head 3 are flanges 8 and 9 in which are provided ledges 11 having fiat planar surfaces disposed in the same plane as the flat portion 4 of the head 3. The blade 1 rests in these ledges and against the flat portion 4 and the cutting edge of the blade 1 at its opposite sides is forced blade held in ears 25.

by the clamping pressure into the bottom ends of the ledges as shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 2, thus serving to anchor the cutting edge of the blade 1 in the retaining head.

Centrally of the head 3 and in the flat portion 4 thereof there is provided an extrusion or molding extending beyond the back of the retaining head 3 and providing -a wall 12 spaced from the head 3 and attached thereto by opposite side wall 13, the space between the back wall '12 and side Wall 13 and the inclined portion 5 of the head 3 being open as shown in Figure 2. To clamp the blade 1 into position on the head 3 there isprovided a resilient metal clip 14 shown in section in Figure 2 and inperspective in Figure 3 comprising a firstleg 15 terminating in a flange 16 disposable between the wall 12 and the back of the inclined portionS and a second leg 20 terminating in a loop 17 engaging the reinforced edge 2 of the blade 1. To maintain the legs 15 and 20 of the clip 14 together in the clamping position of Figure 2, there is provided a tubular retainer '18 which ispressed on-the clip 14 so as to force legs 15 and 20 together to provide the clamping pressure. The tubular retainer '18 then serves as a handle to be manuallygrasped by the shaver in the manipulation of the razor. The tube18 may-.be formed of any material such as a metal orplas'tic and maybe either rigidor flexible; but, in'the preferred embodiment of the invention, is formed of a material'having flexibility to facilitate its retaining action, 'for\ex ample, a flexible sleeve ofcellulose acetate.

The retaining head shown in Figure 4 is substantially the-same as that previously described except that here the walls forming the ends of ledges '11 are provided with preformed notches 19 into which the opposite sides of the cutting edge of the blade 1 are placed in the assembly of the razor. In this form, theblade does notcutits-own notches in the retaining'head as in the forms ofFigures 1 through 3 and the material from which the head is formed may be of any hardness.

.The retaining head shownin Figures 5, 6 a11d7is of a design more particularly adapted for forming as a stamping as of metal. Here theretaining head '21 has arnain bodyportion '22 from which is pressed the central, back, clamping wall 23 adapted to be engaged by the flange 16 on the clip 14. Forwardlyof the mainbo'dy portion 22 there is pressed a'blade guard 24 and at the opposite sides of the head and beneath the guard'24 are a pair of pressed forward cars 25 in which the opposite sides of the cutting edge of the razor blade are engaged. Beneath the guard '24 there is a cutout portion 26 through which waste products may pass, and beneaththecutout portion 26 the bottom portion 27 of the retaining head is formed as 'a smooth curve for engagement with the skin to be shaved.

Using the head of Figures 5 through 7, the blade is disposed behind the guard 24 against the body ,portion 22 and with the opposite sides of the cutting edge of the The same spring clip 14 and tubular retainer 18 are provided for clamping the blade 1 in the head with the flange 16 engaging beneath the pressed out wall 23, the loop 17 engaging the edge 2 of the blade and with the sleeve 18 clamping the legs 15 and 20 of the clip together to securely maintain the blade 1 within the retaining head.

With the invention as shown and described in the three forms herein disclosed, it is seen that there is provided a razor of simple and inexpensive construction which lends itself readily to marketing in disassembled form and which may be readily assembled by the user, with the parts when assembled securely held in position for effecting the shaving operation. The razor may, of course, be used a plurality of times if desired, but its construction is so inexpensive that it may be sold at a minimum price and, as such, used for emergency operation and disposed of after a single or limited use.

The grouping of the disassembled parts has not been over the counter sale.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims:

What is claimed is: 1 1 1. In a safety razor, a blade retaining head having a skin engaging edge, 'a razor blade mounted in said head with its cutting edge disposed adjacent to the skin engaging edge of thehead, said blade being interengagedwith the head to provide for initial separation therefrom only I in the direction away from the cutting edge, a clamp engaging wall secured to and spaced from the main body of the head on the surface thereof opposite the blade receiving surface, a continuous resilient strip forming a spring clip having a pair of spaced legs, a flange on one of said legs engaged with said clamp engaging wall, a

loop at theend of the other leg of said clip engaging the g edge of the blade opposite its cutting edge, and clamping means engaging the legs of said spring clip and forcing them together to exert a force on said blade in the direction toward its cutting edge. 2. In a safety razor, a bladeretaining head having a skin engaging edge, a razor blade mounted in said head. with its cutting edge disposed adjacent to the skin engaging edge of the head, said blade being interengaged with V the head to provide for initial separation therefrom only in the direction away from the cutting edge, a clamp .en-

gaging wallsecured to and spaced from the main body of the head on the surface thereof opposite the blade receiving surface, a continuous resilient strip forming a spring clip having a pairof spaced legs, a flange on one of said legs engaged with said clamp engaging wall, a

loop at the end of the other leg of said clip engaging the edge of the blade opposite its cutting edge, and a tubular clamping retainer engaging the legs of said clip and forcing them together to exert a force on said blade in the direction toward its cutting edge, said tubular re- 'tainer being of elongated form and serving as a manually I engageable' handle for manipulating the razor..

, 3. In a safety razor, a blade retaining head having a skin engaging edge, arazor blade mounted in said head with its cuttingedge disposed adjacent to the skin engaging edge of the head, said blade being interengaged with the head to provide for initial separation therefrom only in the direction away from the cutting edge,'said head having flat plane surfaces engaging at least at the opposite side edges of the blade for a substantial distance away from the cutting edge to support the blade, a wall portion secured to and spaced from the main body of the head on the surface thereof opposite the blade receiving surface, a continuous resilient strip forming a ing them together to exert a force on said blade in the direction toward its cutting edge.

4. In a safety razor, a blade retaining head having a skin engaging edge, a razor blade mounted in said head with its cutting edge disposed adjacent to the skin engaging edge of the head, a pair of preformed notches at the opposite sides of said head into which the opposite sides of the cutting edge of the blade are disposed to provide for. initial separation of the blade from the head only in a the direction away from its cutting edge, said head having flat plane surfaces engaging at least at the opposite side edges of the blade for a substantial distance away from the cutting edge to support the'blade, a wall portion secured to and spaced from the main body of the head on the surface thereof opposite the blade receiving surface, a continuous resilient strip forminga spring clip having a pair of spaced legs, one of said legs engaging said wall portion and the other engaging the edge of said. blade opposite to its cutting edge, and clamping means engaging said clip to exert a force on said blade in the direction toward its cutting edge.

5. In a safety razor, a blade retaining head having a skin engaging edge, a blade guard strip pressed forwardly from the main body portion of said head, a pair of ears pressed forwardly from the main body portion of said head at the opposite sides thereof, a razor blade disposed in said head between said guardstrip and the main body portion'of the head and with the opposite sides of the cutting edges of the blade engaged between said ears and the main body portion of said head, the skin engaging edge of said head being formed as a smooth, curved surface, a waste removal opening in said head above said skin engaging edge, a pressed out wall at the centerback p,

portion of said head, a metal clip engaging withsaid wall and with the edge of said blade opposite to its cutting edge, and clamping means engaging said clip and forcing said blade into engagement with'said head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 115,007. Great Britain Apr. 25, 1918 

